The Promise
by Jitus
Summary: This is set at the beginning of the episode 3x13, just before Robin and the outlaws made their night trip to the Sheriff's camp.


**This is little something I thought up to prolong the time with our heroes before... You know what, don't you?**

"I will see you all at the battlements," said Robin and indicated Guy to follow him. "So what do you think?" he asked, when they were alone. "Do we have a chance?"

"To take the trebuchets before the attack? The Sheriff said he would wait until dawn, so I guess we have time until midnight. Maybe less."

They both knew, that Robin had meant something else. And they both knew, the answer was not too good.

_Even without the Byzantine fire, with that army is Sheriff's victory just a matter of hours, _Guy thought. _If that Blamire is just half as good commander as me, we have no chance. The King can't make it in time. We can just weaken Sheriff's army, but we are all going to die here._

"When we take the trebuchets, you won't have to come back with us, Gisborne," Robin started slowly. "In fact, we shouldn't rely just on Kate. Two messengers are better, in case that one gets himself into the troubles." _Honourable excuse. We both know, he can't go alone to the King if he's not suicidal, but it sounds better than 'If you want to run, then run.'_

"As I told you before, as long as the Sheriff lives, my place is here." _If you expect me to say something like that I care about those precious peasants of yours, you are wrong, Hood. I will never say that. I __**do not**__ care about them._

"Good. I am glad to have you here."

They looked into each other's eyes and in that moment they both saw the same image. With blue eyes and long dark hairs, smiling at them.

_If she was here, she would stay, _Guy thought. _She wouldn't leave Nottingham and its people. _Suddenly memories hit him. She had not left Nottingham. And she had been proud of him, that he had not left it too. He remembered her smile, when she had seen him coming back. Her smile, when she had thought he had had some good in him. And then she had realised, she had been wrong and... He closed his eyes, desperately trying to avoid that last image.

Robin saw the pain on Guy's face. _If she was here, she would be proud of you,_ he thought. He wanted to say it, but sudden absurd jealousy didn't allow him. He lowered his eyes and looked on his bow.

"Oh, the bowstring. I have to change it."

He started replacing the bowstring, when he heard Tuck calling him.

"Robin! Robin! Can you come here? Please hurry."

"I'm coming." He handed his bow to Guy. "Will you finish it please?"

***

Guy didn't immediately go back to Robin. He needed some time alone. He was wandering through the corridors, when the furious barking caught his attention. He followed the noise and he saw little – maybe four or five years old – boy cowering on the window while the big, angry dog was threatening him. Guy shouted and the dog fled.

"Come down," he told the boy. "What are you doing here, anyway? Where are your parents?"

"Dead," the boy answered. "I am living with my aunt now. She is a cook here in the castle."

"So where is your aunt?"

"She is..." The boy saw the bow Guy was holding and stared at it in disbelieve. "You are Robin Hood!"

"No, I'm not," Guy frowned. "Where is your aunt?"

"You must be," the boy insisted. "Only Robin Hood has a bow like this one."

"It's true. It is Robin's bow, but I'm just looking after it, while Robin is doing more important things."

"So you are his friend?"

_No, I am his enemy. _But the boy was too small to understand this, even Guy didn't understand it, so he said simply: "Yes, I am."

"You are a hero then."

Only once in his life had someone called him so. Isabella when she had been five and he had saved her doll from a pond.

"I am going to take you to your aunt now. Come down here."

The boy was studying him for a while and then he said: "You are a greater hero than Robin Hood."

This was too much. Guy was staring at him, half expecting he was going to wake up in the next moment.

"Robin would have needed his bow to defeat that dog. He is doing everything with his bow. You didn't need a bow, so you are a greater hero than him," the boy explained. Then he looked out of the window. "They want to kill us all, don't they? Will you save us?"

"Well, Robin..."

"Not Robin. Will **you** help us?"

Guy looked into boy's innocent eyes and he saw hope and immeasurable trust.

"What is your name, boy?"

"Matt."

"Well, Matt," Guy said slowly, "I swear to you, that I would rather die than leave you or another innocent man, woman or child to die here." And in that moment he really meant it. "I will get all of you out of this. Do you believe me?" Matt smiled widely and threw himself around Guy's neck. "Now let's find your aunt."

**I am not native English speaker and I decided to write few fan fics just to see, if I could write something at least little bit readable. Any your comment is welcome, so, please, leave one.**


End file.
